Many business owners and executives are convinced that if they treat their team with understanding and maintain a friendly atmosphere, subordinates will inevitably take advantage of them. It seems as though achieving unconditional discipline requires becoming a harsh dictator. But is that actually the case? In this article, I will break down why personality is not an excuse and identify the primary quality a true leader must possess.
The Myth of the Creative Soul and the Cult of Volatility
In the business environment, one often hears complaints like: “By nature, I am a soft, creative person; I value good relationships within the team because working in a friendly atmosphere is simply more comfortable. That is exactly why my employees are lazy, overstep professional boundaries, and miss deadlines. Now, if I were tough, efficiency would skyrocket.”
Strictly speaking, such statements are merely excuses. When a person claims they are naturally “soft and gentle,” they are effectively admitting that they simply are not managing their processes.
On the other hand, there is the opposite extreme. At some point, a manager “snaps” and decides they must pound their fist on the table, rant and rave, and communicate exclusively in raised tones, operating under the assumption that only then will everyone start working well. Both are fundamentally flawed approaches to management.
Two Styles — One Result
The truth is that the role of a manager can be performed with staggering effectiveness by people who are both soft and tough by nature. Your personality does not determine your managerial competence. It only determines what kind of people will work with you and what corporate culture will form around you.
A classic example comes from the manufacturing sector, where two completely different departments can exist within one company, side-by-side and equally successfully:
- In the sales department, a soft, friendly leader manages the team, building work on positive emotions and inspiration.
- In the production unit, a tough supervisor is in charge, where everything is extremely clear-cut and firm.
Performance metrics show that both are doing excellent. They have simply gathered different teams around them that match their expectations and habitual culture of interaction.
What Does a Manager’s Job Actually Consist Of?
In reality, a manager’s job is very simple. Its essence boils down to the application of specific tools:
- Clear Planning: Having written plans for both the entire department and each individual employee. These are not abstract ideas, but a specific list of tasks recorded in an electronic system or simply on paper.
- Measurability: This means every task must have a clear expected result and a firm deadline.
- Structure: A clear distribution of responsibilities and the existence of job descriptions. Employees must know exactly what to do and how their actions align with others.
- Coordination: Daily and weekly briefings, progress checks, priority adjustments, and seeing tasks through to completion.
These tools are universal. If a tough manager uses them, they do so in their own manner. If a soft manager uses them, they will do so gently: repeating things multiple times, identifying reasons for forgotten reports, and providing feedback. A soft leader will have to remind an employee about a task again and again, but sooner or later, subordinates will learn that if a task is set, it must be completed.
The EPAM Systems Georgia Case Study
The IT giant EPAM, which opened a massive hub in Georgia, does not use classic directive management at all. In the IT sector, shouting at a senior developer means losing them that same day. There are no “tough bosses” here; instead, there are delivery managers and scrum masters. They do not apply emotional pressure, yet they control and guide the team through daily stand-ups, task tracking, and retrospectives. A manager can be the softest person in the world, but thanks to a system of transparent deadlines, they achieve 100% efficiency.
The Trap of the “Borrowed Role”
One of the biggest mistakes is when a naturally soft person decides to artificially become “tough” for the sake of results. They begin to be rude, overstep boundaries, and immediately face reciprocal aggression and resistance from the team.
If you are soft, you don’t need to become tough. You simply need to start applying managerial tools.
Furthermore, when an employee refuses to perform a task, claiming it is “stupid,” a tough boss will simply order them to do it, whereas a soft boss will spend time explaining. Ultimately, however, the result will be achieved through alignment rather than through the fear of punishment. Moreover, cooperation based on mutual agreement works much better.
Persistence — The Primary Quality of a Leader
So, what is that key quality that guarantees the unquestionable execution of tasks? It is neither toughness nor cruelty, but persistence.
Persistence is the ability to continue demanding, following through, and applying effort to get a result, regardless of barriers, excuses, or stalling tactics.
Persistence does not require raising your voice. It is a situation where you can calmly approach an employee three times a day and ask: “What is the progress on our task? Why is it being delayed? When will you start? When will you show the first result?”
According to Gallup research, 70% of team engagement depends specifically on the quality of management, and regular, predictable discussions of tasks increase employee engagement nearly threefold. Another large-scale study by MIT Sloan Management Review showed that a toxic corporate culture triggers resignations 10.4 times more often than dissatisfaction with salary.
Therefore, even if you are the softest manager in the world but demonstrate systemic persistence, employees very quickly get used to the fact that you will get your way regardless. You won’t have to ruin your mood, destroy the friendly atmosphere in the team, or play the role of a tyrant. You will simply achieve high-quality execution.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and may not reflect the views of the editorial team.
Business systematization expert and guest speaker at international business conferences; author of 4 books on business management.
